


Assassin's Creed: Geass

by Flameal15k



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Code Geass
Genre: Desmond Miles and the other Modern Assassins Don't Exist, F/F, F/M, Lelouch Is An Assassin, Suzaku Is A Templar, They Both Know This
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29792343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flameal15k/pseuds/Flameal15k
Summary: As the Black Knights wage their war against Britannia, they find themselves slowly dragged into a far older war between three different powers, with a secret history whose truths are written in blood.
Relationships: C.C./Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Euphemia li Britannia/Kururugi Suzaku, Kouzuki Kallen/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia, Marrybell mel Britannia/Oldrin Zevon, Shirley Fenette/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

~Pendragon, Capital of the Holy Britannian Empire, March 7, 1876. The Coronation of Emperor Silas sil Britannia

As the sun vanished beneath the sky, a moon rose to take its place. Though having to share its sky with colorful explosives crafted by human hands, the moon would enjoy a special place in the history of the decadent empire who ruled this city - it was the first moon to rise over the reign of a new emperor.

As was often the case with coronations, innumerable festivals had been set up for such an occasion, all in the name of the newly ascended monarch. Those who had supported the young prince who had won the throne toasted to his health and their own advancement, while those who were against him who had wisdom decided to join in, lest they be noted by the empire's eyes and ears and subsequently hunted down for dissent, if not treachery. The masses were mostly uncaring of these plots and hidden battles, for their interests leaned more toward peace. Many were still likely to enjoy some amount of debauchery and hedonism on this night, though - best to do so while they still could.

In part because of the festivities, the palace guards had been put on high alert, ready to act at a moment's notice. It was a rare occasion when everyone agreed on who would be emperor, and thus there was almost always that possibility that disgruntled nobles and jealous princes and princesses would seek to send assassins in to try and end the newly decided sovereign's reign before it began. Already, eyes were scanning the walls, the streets, and the rooftops, searching for those who sought to take the emperor's life.

Nine times out of ten, these men would catch a would-be assassin before they reached the palace. Ninety nine times out of one-hundred, they would catch an intruder even if they breached the palace.

But tonight would be one of the few times that one secretive, roof-running miscreant would make it through. Though why said miscreant was in the palace was not the most expected reason.

XXXXX

From her seat atop the balcony, princess Elizabeth chi Britannia watched as her half brother treated a noble lady, one Miriam Langford, to a dance. She knew for a fact that lady Miriam had Silas rapped around her finger, and was almost guaranteed to become his first wife. How many more he would take would remain to be seen - at least two were required by law to ensure an heir, while more would provide additional heirs and some increase in renown, but whether Silas had the stamina or interest to take more than two was still in the air.

That wasn't really her concern at the moment, though. Elizabeth was watching right now because she wanted to watch her brother dance...well, actually, attempt to dance would be more like it. She knew for a fact that Silas was not the most talented of dancers, and that was most obvious right now, where the lady who many assumed was his empress-to-be practically dragged him across the floor.

Unfortunately, her entertainment would be cut short when she heard the familiar sound of a man clearing his throat. Turning, Elizabeth saw it was her knight, Patrick Crozier, who was gesturing for her to come with him.

"Milady, I need to discuss something with you."

Elizabeth sighed. "I understand. Shall we do so in my quarters?"

"Of course."

XXXXX

Unnoticed by the palace guards, a hooded figure carefully slipped into an open window, and without alerting any nearby guests, began making their way through the palace, careful to avoid the guards and staff until they reached a certain room.

As they prepared to enter, though, someone tapped them on the shoulder. Instantly, the hooded one moved to strike, only for their arm to be caught before it could reach their blade.

Sighing, the hooded one turned to face his captor - a noble-lady in a particularly fancy aquamarine-colored dress, who seemed to be...disappointed in him.

"Trying to break in?" she asked.

The hooded figure chose not to respond.

"Well, you should know that door is locked, and needs a key to open."

Before the hooded figure could ponder why he was being informed about this, the sound of metal clanging turned his attention to the floor. Their, a brass key had come to a halt by his left foot.

Turning his attention back to his captor, the hooded man watched as the noble-lady used her right pinky to push a ring up the appropriate finger, revealing a familiar branding.

"Honestly, I take blame for not communicating this detail properly before the coronation. Now please, make haste. I believe you have an appointment to meet tonight."

With those parting words, the lady released her captive and returned to the ballroom. After taking a moment to massage his hand, the hooded figure took the key and unlocked the door, revealing an ornate set of clothing - the perfect disguise for an event like this.

XXXXXXXX

At last having reached her quarters, Elizabeth allowed her knight to escort her inside. Adorning the walls were a variety of items - portraits, stuffed animals, and photos - which each held some memory that Eliza wished to keep close to her heart.

Most prominent, though, was the large metallic cross located opposite her bed, painted red and standing apart from all other adornments in the room.

Many would look upon it and assume it was of some sentimental value - perhaps a relic of Britannia's ancient past. After all, it was clear that this was the emblem of the Knights Templar, an ancient Britannian knightly order that had only been disbanded by a French pope who had the audacity to accuse the brave knights of blasphemy.

In truth, though, the knights had survived and clandestinely expanded their ranks. And Eliza just so happened to be among them.

As her knight closed the door behind him, Eliza's expression changed from stoic to grim. "What is it now?"

"There have been reports that several nobles sympathetic to our cause have been murdered today, often in graphic and public ways. My first assumption is that they were victims of our ancient enemies, but that Brotherhood doesn't normally stoop to such...extreme measures unless they feel an absolute need to.

"You assume they were framed?"

Her knight nodded. "We know that there are other groups that oppose you who seem to have some inkling that there is a greater group opposing our righteous cause. Perhaps they committed the killings to distract us from their actions."

"I see. So, what now? Do you think I should turn in for the night?"

"On the contrary. Doing so would make you an easier target. I say you should join in the dance, perhaps try to find someone you would be willing to settle down with."

"But don't I have you for that?" Eliza practically whined.

Crozier rolled his eyes. "As good a catch as you are, and as great as my loyalty to you is, you know for a fact my heart belongs to Lady Alma Thorpe."

Eliza smirked. "Ah yes, it does. Tell me, did you enjoy what you saw when she arrived in her sinfully revealing aquamarine dress?"

Patrick felt his cheeks warming. "Eh, milady, such questions are?"

"Well?"

"...Yes. I did. She looked ravishing."

"No surprise there. I'm certain you have painted a target upon your back just by associating with her."

"I already have one on my back as your guardian."

"True. So, shall we return to the ballroom?"

"Of course, milady."

"Excellent. Also, I would like to inform you that I am expecting someone tonight. So if my quarters are locked after the festivities end, please knock before entering."

"Understood."

XXXXX

Setting the last button into place, the hooded assassin exited the dressing room, making his way to the ballroom. Entering, he noticed his contact had taken a seat, and was now staring at him, an inquisitive look adorning her face.

Wordlessly, he joined her, returning the key without a thought. Now it was time to wait for his target to arrive.

He did not have to wait long.

XXXXX

Elizabeth loved the ballroom floor. Dancing was one of her passions, and she couldn't refuse the chance to show up her brother, even if he now towered over her as emperor. Adorned in a vibrant red dress, the princess couldn't help but smirk at her brother, sitting at his table with Miriam, looking utterly spent from being dragged around by the girl. Unfortunately, he was too exhausted to notice her leer, but thankfully, no one else did either - mocking the emperor carried steep consequences, even if you were his kin.

Of course, that wasn't to say that she was not unnoticed - many noblemen were already eyeing her up, entranced by her beauty. Elizabeth was not the most beautiful among the royal daughters, but she still ranked fairly high amongst her competitors. Many a noble would try to marry her, if only to advance their station. She knew that older men would refrain from trying to approach her - to marry off one of her standing to one far older than her would be an obvious powerplay, and treated with scorn. To attempt the same with a boy far younger than her would net a similar response. Only those around her age would attempt to make a move, and she was fine with that.

After all, such men made excellent dance partners.

She found herself holding hands with many men that night, wearing silks and fabrics whose names eluded her. Most were purebred Britannians, but those of other races occasionally found themselves staring into her eyes. Eliza really wouldn't have minded sharing her life (and implicitly her bed) with one who was not so fair skinned, even if her standing fell because of said decision.

For she held herself to higher ideals than Britannia did now. Ideals the great king Alfred had founded and spearheaded.

Eventually, Elizabeth found a partner who differed from the rest.

Dressed in a mixture of red and white, wearing garments that could be seen as a color and gender inversion of her own, the nobleman bent the knee before her, only offering to dance when she allowed him to stand.

Her impression of him only grew as they glided across the ballroom floor. Her previous suitors had all either been too aggressive or too meek, though all had invariably exhausted themselves trying to match her. This man, however, managed to keep pace with her, occasionally taking the lead, and at other times sharing the beat with her.

It seemed she had found a most interesting specimen.

When the dancing concluded, the two released their hands and bowed/curtsied to one another. As the man made to return to his table, though, Elizabeth's eye turned to his right ring finger. Their, just behind a silver ring, was what looked suspiciously like a brand of some sort.

A knowing look on her face, Elizabeth tapped the man on his shoulder, then urged him to join her at her table. After a moment of reluctance, he complied.

They enjoyed desert in silence, after which the majority of the crowd prepared to leave - Silas had given an address far earlier, so there was nothing lest for the crowd to stay for. Eliza, however, beckoned for the man to follow her, eventually leading him back to her chambers. Escorting him inside, she locked the door behind her.

"You know, I was expecting you to show up tonight. I wasn't expecting you to dance."

The man let out a laugh. "I couldn't resist. Besides, I wanted to see if the tales about you were true."

"I see. May we move onto business?"

"I see no reason for further delay."

"Excellent. So, first off, did your order commit the murders?"

"No. We lost several of our own today, as did your order."

"I figured. Britannia has not been friends to either of our groups."

"I don't think the Brotherhood or the Order wanted it this way. We want a system that provides peace in all things, not one that encourages domination."

"Britannia does seem to focus on enslaving the body, rather than the mind."

"That is why it will, inevitably, fail to dominate the world."

"Perhaps. But it has not failed yet. Nor has it ever seen a Templar or an Assassin as its ruler, or any sympathetic to our causes."

"Strange, isn't it?"

Elizabeth sighed. "What are you implying, Isaac?"

Isaac turned to look at the Templar Cross. "I do believe there is a group trying to keep either of us from influencing the Imperial Throne too much. If there were times where the Emperor or Empress helped one of our organizations while hindering another, then I would simply believe that Britannia was acting like any other nation. But for neither the Brotherhood nor the Order to have the emperor's ear for an length of time is suspicious."

Eliza quirked an eyebrow. "And what would you suggest we do? Ally against it?"

"How many time have alliances between our two fraternities fallen to infighting? We seek the same goal, yet our differences have caused all alliances our forbearers made to fizzle out. An alliance is the last thing I would suggest at the moment. But the foundation for one? I think that could work."

Elizabeth snorted. "That still sounds rather idealistic."

"Someone has to be the idealist here."

"True enough. I suppose I could arrange for the more reasonable members of my order to meet with their counterparts in your own."

"That's all I can ask for."

"So I take it your requests are finished?"

"Yes. No, if you'll excuse me, I must-"

"Stop."

Isaac froze, then turned toward Elizabeth. "What?"

A predatory smile now graced the princess' face. "You didn't think I invited you here just to talk with me, did you."

Isaac's eyes turned toward the door. "What about your knight?"

"I was told by your friend Lady Thorpe that she would keep him indisposed for a few hours."

"You mean begging him to bend her over a table?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Alma is a shameless seductress, even if her heart will forever belong to my knight."

After a moment of thinking, Isaac smiled. "Well, then, would you like some help getting otu of that dress."

"Yes please."

XXXXX

March 3, 2014 a.t.b. Abstergo Research Facility, Osaka, Area 11 (formerly Osaka, Japan).

With a gasp, the boy terminated the simulation and stood up, cheeks colored red, panting in shock (and maybe lust). Nearby, several research staff stared at him, a curious look on their faces.

"Big brother?"

The black haired, purple eyed boy turned his attention to his left. There, a young girl with brown hair and closed eyes sat in a wheel chair, a confused expression on her face.

"What did you see?

"Er...nothing important, Nunnally."

XXXXX

AN: Things I should not be doing: this.

Things I am doing: also this.

So, here's my newest crossover. First off, no, this won't have any connection to my other stories beyond a few references. This is in its own fictional universe.

Now, some other stuff.

Most if not all of the canon characters from Assassin's Creed's present day won't show up. According to the Code Geass timeline and when it diverges from our timeline, Code Geass takes place in the fifties, so none of the canon cast has been born yet.

Lelouch is, by blood, a member of the Assassins and the Templars. Which path he follows will be explored in the next few chapters.

There will be 2-3 more 'prologue' chapters before we get to the major events from Code Geass.

Regarding the Isaac and Eliza's conversation about neither the Assassin's nor the Templars liking Britannia: my interpretation of the Templars is that they would prefer hegemonic dominance over everyone else (at least, the more reasonable ones) - it makes for less issues with rebellion and creates a lasting peace. To paraphrase Governor Torres from Black Flag, 'enslave the body, and the mind will rebel. Enslave the mind, and the body will follow'. Plus the Templars tend to recruit people from all walks of life, so direct oppression based on race like Britannia does is counterproductive.

Lastly, I am modifying the solar-flare plotline to fit with the story I am telling, because I think it is REALLY STUPID.

Also, expect rapid initial updates while my creative juices are still flowing unobstructed.

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!


	2. Birth of an Assassin

AN: The following chapter contains unmarked spoilers for Code Geass and the following Assassin's Creed games: Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. You have been warned.

XXXXX

~Aries Villa, Imperial City of Pendragon, the Holy Britannian Empire. Three days before the assassination of Empress Marianne.~

Within the Aries Villa, the day was progressing on, with no signs to the upheaval that would come in three days time. Within the villa, a black haired boy had just bested his elder half brother, while outside, the dark-haired boy's sister was playing with her purple-haired half sisters. Some distance away, a motherly-looking woman was with an older, somewhat portly man, both smiling for a moment, before moving to discuss something away from prying eyes.

"Well, it seems you've won yet again, Lelouch," spoke the blond-haired boy who had lost the chess match - the third prince of Britannia, Clovis la Britannia.

His opponent, Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh prince of Britannia, and Seventeenth in line for the throne, merely gave him a smile. "I do always seem to win against you, yet you've never refused a game against me. Do you enjoy losing, brother?"

"I enjoy spending time with you, Lelouch. Victory is irrelevant here."

"Your honesty is appreciated. Perhaps you'd like to join me when I challenge Schneizel for another round? I feel that I need all the help I can acquire against him."

Clovis laughed. "You may have never won a game against him, but I think it is only a matter of time before that changes. Schneizel may best you in many games, but I do recall times where he has forfeited against you. He can only do that for so long before backing out is no longer an option."

"Big brother Clovis, where are you?! Mother is starting another painting session!" spoke a blond haired girl who looked very similar to Clovis.

"Coming, Laila," answered the burgeoning artist, before turning his attention back toward Lelouch. "I am sorry, but it seems I have to leave. Perhaps we can enjoy another match in the future?"

"Whenever you wish, brother."

"Thank you, Lelouch."

With that, Clovis took his leave. After taking a moment to watch him leave, Lelouch calmly packed away the chess pieces and, mounting a ladder, returned the board to its resting place. As he began to descend, though, the young prince missed a step and was sent plummeting to the ground below, knocking over another box in the process.

Shaking off the whiplash, Lelouch grumbled as the pain in his back faded, only slightly worried about how he would be punished. His attention soon fell upon the box he had knocked over, and instantly, his demeanor turned to one of terror - the box was one that belonged to his mother, and supposedly had been brought by her to Pendragon after her marriage and ascension to empress, and likely carried irreplaceable memories. Hastily, the prince moved to try and undo any damage that he had done to the box, unwilling to even take a glance at its contents...until he saw something peculiar inside.

Within the box was a set of letters and notes, all over topics and things that Lelouch didn't understand. Two things stood out, though - one was that most of the documents had a special symbol on them, which was either a red knight's cross or a strange, bird-skull themed emblem. The other point of note was that there was something else in the box - a special-looking bracer of some sort, which had some complex electrical components within it. Most peculiar, though, was the pair of blades extended from beneath the bracer.

Before Lelouch could examine the bracer in detail, though, someone cleared their throat. Turning, Lelouch found himself staring at a pair of servants - servants loyal to his mother.

"My prince, are you in need of aid."

"...Yes, could you please help me put away this box?"

"Sure. Have you seen what lies within?"

"Nothing important. Just letters and notes with strange symbols on them."

"You mean ones that look like a cross and an eagle's skull?"

For a moment, Lelouch forze up. "...Do you know what those symbols mean?"

"Yes, but we are not permitted to tell you that. Not yet."

Instantly, Lelouch scowled. "I am a prince of Britannia. Only the emperor can decide what I am not permitted to know."

"Well, I think you mother's parents can also decide what secrets should be kept from you."

A shocked expression adorned Lelouch's face. "You know the empress's parents?"

"We served her parents. When she was elevated to empress, we prostrated ourselves before the emperor and begged him to allow us to continue serving her, and were permitted to do so."

"I thought mother was a commoner before her being elevated to the Knights of the Round?"

"Through her father, yes. Her mother is of petty nobility, her family one that once held high status, but now condemned to obscurity. They have fallen so far over the years that most do not know they are still nobility."

"I see...when may I learn about what is in this box?"

"When and if the Lamperouge Patriarch and Matriarch decide you are ready, no more, no less."

"I see. Carry on, then," spoke the Eleventh Prince as he left the room...only to run into his sister, Nunnally.

"Big Brother, what was that about?"

"Er, nothing...wait, how much did you hear?"

"Everything. Cornelia and Euphie had to come inside to clean up, so I came with them. I was going to ask for a snack when I heard mother's servants talking."

"Oh. Well, I have no idea what secrets they are keeping, but I think we'll learn the truth eventually."

"Are you sure?"

"So long as we are royalty? Yes."

XXXXX

-Kururugi Shrine, Japan. June 23, a.t.b. 2010.-

Lelouch let out a cry as he fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thud. Nearby, a Japanese boy stood rigid, bokken outstretched in a striking position.

"Looks like you win again, Suzaku," groused the prince-in-exile. Despite his attempts to renounce his inheritance, Charles zi Britannia still considered Lelouch to be in the line of succession.

"Don't worry, Lelouch. You'll win one day."

"Not if Tohdoh keeps pushing you so hard."

Around the duo, spectators watched, though none were surprised with the outcome. One girl, however, had a strange look in hers eyes, as if she was entranced by both fighters.

With the duel now over, though, the spectators gradually dispersed, with Prime Minister Kururugi gesturing for his son to follow. Another man, a messenger, had arrived, and was presenting documents for the Prime Minister to examine.

One of the documents slipped, though, and ended up landing by Lelouch. As it did, Lelouch's eyes noticed something very peculiar - the letter was closed with a wax seal. The image inscribed in said seal?

A very familiar looking cross.

Noticing the messenger moving to retrieve the document, Lelouch stepped aside and allowed him to go about his business unimpeded. Mentally, though, Lelouch's mind was racing: did the Prime Minister have some connection to Lady Marianne and her lineage?

XXXXX

Later that night, as he slept in the guest room Suzaku had managed to convince his father to allow the vi Britannia siblings to stay in, a peculiar dream came to Lelouch.

It was night in Pendragon. Lelouch had just awakened from a bizarre dream, involving a caterpillar and Nunnally dressed as Alice from the tale by Lewis Carroll. His confused pondering only lasted a moment, though, as the door to his bedroom soon opened, revealing the imposing form of his father. Lelouch opened his mouth to ask what was going on, only for the world to suddenly change to one of greyscale. Charles was the only source of color in this strange world, his body glowing a soft blue, only for it to suddenly turn red as a strange symbol appeared in his eye-

Instantly, Lelouch's dream shifted to a more familiar, yet horrifying sight - that of his mother gunned down by assassins, while his sister Nunnally lay trapped beneath mother's body, a look of horror in her eyes. This would be the last time Nunnally's eyes were open, as from this point forward, her eyes would be closed forever, blinded by the trauma of what she had seen.

Lelouch awakened with a start, falling out of bed in the process. Strangely, he was grateful for the pain, as it meant that he was truly awake.

The nature of the dream surprised him, but after a few moments, Lelouch was willing to dismiss it. A dream was a dream, and there was nothing so far to indicate that what he had seen held any meaning.

Closing his eyes, Lelouch readied to go back to sleep, only for a loud creak to turn his attention toward the door. More sounds followed, revealing that it was servant cleaning the hallway. His curiosity quenched, Lelouch closed his eyes...only to realize that the world around him had lost its colors. Instead, it now looked like how his dream had. Confused and scared, Lelouch turned his vision toward himself, and found that his body now glowed a light blue. A moment later, he glanced at Nunnally, and found that her sleeping form was also surrounded by a soft blue light.

Confused and scared, Lelouch's eyes flitted around in panic closing as his breath hitched. After a moment, though, Lelouch managed to calm himself and normalize his breathing. Warily, he opened his eyes...and found that his vision had returned to normal.

Lelouch stared for a moment, then went back to sleep. He would try to seek answers for this later.

XXXXX

-Tokyo Settlement, Area 11. November 16th, a.t.b 2010-

Lelouch smiled as he watched a friendly blond girl playing with his sister, Nunnally. Against the odds, the siblings had managed to find some measure of peace. In the aftermath of the invasion, the Ashford family had moved to the newly christened Area 11, though mostly to hide their shame after their disgrace following the death of Empress Marianne. The Ashford patriarch, Reuben, had decided to allow the siblings to stay with his granddaughter, overruling his daughter-in-law regarding how the children should be treated. Now, Nunnally was playing with Milly, smiling for the first time since the invasion.

The sound of a doorbell turned the prince's attention toward a nearby door, where a servant was allowing talking with two new arrivals. Why did they look so familiar...no, it could be.

And yet it was. There, standing in the doorway, were the two servants who had confronted him after he knocked over his mother's special box.

"Greeting," spoke one of them - the girl, to be precise. "I am not sure if you remember us, but-"

"You were mother's servants, weren't you? We had a conversation three days before her death."

"It seems you do remember."

"Lelouch, is that-"

"Yes, Lady Nunnally. We were the ones at the Aries Villa."

"Oh. I never caught your names."

"I am Helen, and my associate is Michael. Now, I apologize, but would you be willing to come with us?"

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because we went to great pains to obtain an audience with you, we had to beggar ourselves to reach Area 11...and it has been deemed time for you and your sister to know the significance of a certain box."

Lelouch froze up for a moment, before looking at Nunnally. "Nunnally, I-"

"DO you want to know what was in that box, Lelouch?"

"I...yes."

"I see. I'm sorry, Milly, but we'll need to set this aside for another time."

The Ashford heiress pouted for a moment, but soon smiled. "Oh well. Whatever it is, I look forward to finding out what new secret you're hiding, Lelouch."

"I doubt you will," intoned the servant know as Michael.

XXXXX

Hours later, the siblings found themselves before a new building - the Kingsley Manor. This estate had been one of the first constructed in the newly established Area 11, despite belonging solely to a petty noble lineage.

They had to wait only a moment before being ushered in by Michael and Helen, after which they found themselves staring at an set of painting, presumably depicting ancestors of the current generation of the Kingsley family. Helen and Michael bid the siblings farewell at this junction - their part in this endeavor was over.

Left alone, Lelouch and Nunnally found themselves staring at a painting depicting two siblings - likely born sometime in the prior millennium, given their attire. Their clothes had a hint of soot on them, making them look rather unkempt, yet still beautiful.

"Impressive, aren't they?" spoke an unfamiliar voice. Turning toward it, Lelouch and Nunnally found they had been joined by a kindly looking woman, who had aged quite well. She resembled several of those who's visages graced the paintings, though the two the siblings had been focused on did not resemble her in the slightest.

"Yes, they are."

"Their names were Jacob and Evie Frye. The girl happens to be my husband's grandmother, as it so happens. Those two used to get involved in loads of trouble, but supposedly were still very kind and caring people."

"I see," noted Lelouch. "My apologies, but who are you?"

"Ah, where are my manners. I am Carmen Lamperouge, ne Kingsley."

"Lamperouge?" asked Nunnally. "Are you related to mother?"

"Yes. Lady Marianne was...close...to me."

"Are you here Aunt?"

"No. She was my daughter...Which makes me-"

"Our grandmother?" finished Nunnally.

"Yes. That is who I am."

"Honey, have our guests arrived-"

"Yes, they're here right now."

"Excellent," spoke a man who looked eerily similar to Lelouch, albeit with noticeably longer hair than the boy and a more aged appearance.

"And who are you?" questioned Lelouch, though he was fairly certain he knew exactly who stood before him.

"I am Langston Lamperouge, and I am your grandfather. And I do believe that you wanted to know what was so significant about the box you spilled a few mouths ago, didn't you?"

"...I do," admitted Lelouch.

"I do as well," conceded Nunnally.

"Splendid. Then, please, follow me."

XXXXX

As they walked down the hallway, Langston began to speak. "Are you aware of various conspiracy theories, my grandchildren?"

"You mean like the Illuminati, the Ancient Aliens, and the flat-earthers?" inquired Lelouch.

"Right on the mark," replied Carmen.

"Somewhat. Those are hardly things a member of royalty should concern themselves with. That's the domain of secret intelligence groups."

"Fair enough," answered Langston.

"...Are you implying mother was a member of one such conspiracy?" asked Nunnally, sounding both curious and, amazingly, indignant at the insinuation.

"Would you believe me if I said that Marianne was a member of two such conspiracies?"

"No," answered Lelouch, expression the picture annoyance.

"Good, because that is not a wholly true statement."

Both Lelouch and Nunnally stared in confusion (or at least, Nunnally did something equivalent to that, being blind), before gesturing for their grandfather to continue.

"Our daughter was not a knowing member of any conspiracies...but she was born into two."

Before they could inquire any further, Langston had reached the end of the hall, and now stood before a large set of doors. Turning the handles, he forced them open, before stepping aside to allow his grandchildren in. Both approached the room, only for Lelouch to gasp at the sight.

Within the room were the two emblem's Lelouch had seen, only now massive and surrounded by other symbols. Littering the room were other oddities - weapons, papers, armor, robes, and more. Signs with names like Erudito, Abstergo, Bloom, and more obscure brands were also present, alongside maps and pictures of various people, some of whom were labeled as 'targets'.

"And now, I think its time we let you in on these conspiracies."

XXXXX

"Long before Britannia, there was a group known as the Order of the Ancients. In secret, they manipulated the world so that they could achieve their ideals. Though, if I am being honest, they mostly did so for the sake of power. They were founded by the Pharaoh Smenkhkare, in order to study some...peculiar ruins. Eventually, they expanded their operations across the Mediterranean, and then into Persia.

"Like so many others across history, they ended up being the Architects of their own downfall. During the reign of Cleopatra and her brother, they murdered the child of a couple named Bayek and Aya. In their quest for revenge, the couple would discover the extent of the Order and eventually found their own organization to oppose them, the Hidden Ones. The conflict that followed would outlast the Roman Empire, eventually taking both sides to our ancient homeland, England, where the last of the Order would be destroyed by its own leader, His Majesty, King Alfred the Great. Alfred had grown tired of the Order in its current, pagan form and wanted to reform it to be more in line with his Christian views. This new organization would later take on the name of "The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ" or, as they are now know, the Knights Templar.

"In turn, the Hidden Ones would also reform themselves, and ultimately, would rebrand themselves after the name their Levantine branch had taken: The Brotherhood of the Assassins. The shadow war that both sides have fought continues to this day, though the exact players have shifted quite a bit."

"And I presume Britannia is a front for the Templars?" asked Lelouch.

Carmen snorted. "As if. We Templars desire peace in all things, and do not care for blood, ethnicity, or social class. Skill and drive are all that matter to us."

"So the two of you are...Templars?" questioned Nunnally.

"Carmen is," answered Langston. "I, however, owe allegiance to the Brotherhood. As for why we are married...it seems that sometimes, love does conquer all."

Nunnally smiled at this, while Lelouch rolled his eyes. "So, why would mother not know about this war?"

"Marianne displayed more interest in advancing herself in the military than in our shadow wars. We never really had the time to induct her into the order."

"Hmph...may I ask one last question?"

"Speak it, and we shall answer as best we can," spoke Carmen.

"Do you know anything about people seeing the world without color, except for people glowing red and blue?"

"...Ah. I see you inherited the Eagle Vision."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow at Langston. "Is that what it is called?"

"Yes. It is a way of seeing the world differently - it represents friends, foes, targets, and others as needed."

"I see...Why did you invite us here?"

Carmen seemed indignant at that statement. "Is wanting to see our grandchildren not reason enough?"

"No, but I don't think its the only reason you asked us to come here."

Carmen glared for a moment, but then her expression softened. "Well, you do have a point. Thus, I will give you the truth: we want to induct you into our orders."

Both siblings sputtered in shock at this. "What?!" "Why?!"

"It is so very rare when our orders have members of the royal family among them, but more importantly, we do not believe Marianne's death was the work of terrorists. Whenever a member of either of our organizations has gotten close to the royal family, they have been eliminated. All throughout Britannia's history, this has happened every time we have made headway with the current monarch or one of their successors. We believe that someone is deliberately targeting us...and that they will want to tie up loose ends like you two. As for why they want to keep us away from the royal family, we seek to achieve peace in all things, regardless of our order. The point of contention among the Assassins and Templars is how much freedom an individual should have. But the constant oppression, racism, and borderline slavery Britannia promotes? Neither of us want that."

"So you want us to follow in your footsteps?"

"If that is what you desire. Should you choose, though, we will help you learn why your mother - our daughter - was slain."

Lelouch froze up at that statement. Knowing who killed his mother was something he desperately desired. At the same time, though, this was taking a massive risk. And if it failed...

A sudden tugging on his arm turned Lelouch's attention to Nunnally.

"Whatever choice you make, Lelouch, I'm with you."

"..Thank you, Nunnally."

Lelouch turned toward his grandparents.

"...I'm in."

XXXXX

AN: Originally, I was going to have Lelouch and Nunnally be related to the Frie family via Lydia, but that caused too many timeline headaches. Also, Genbu was one of the Japanese Templars, but the canonical scorn he showed Lelouch and Nunnally when they first arrived at Japan (they were forced to initially stay in a shed, and Suzaku ended up bullying Lelouch until Nunnally asked the Knight of Zero if he would also bully her) still happened here - the Britannian and Japanese Templars hadn't been in contact for a while, and Genbu legitimately would not have known that the children were descendants of Templars even if he had been in contact with his Britannian counterparts.

Next chapter will involve a timeskip or two and focus on Lelouch learning some new skills - Nunnally will need a while before she can get stronger (need to figure out where the shroud of martin is).

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!


	3. Initiate of the Creed

Lelouch fell.

As soon as the thud faded, Carmen walked up to her grandson. "Again."

"Do I have to?"

"Until you have mastered the art of climbing, free running, and scaling the roofs, you aren't fit to join either the Assassin's or the Templars. Not even as a messenger. So, Get. Up."

Groaning, the boy did as he was told and made his way back to the rock wall.

From her seat nearby, Nunnally frowned. "Is this really necessary? Big brother has already fallen four times."

"He must learn to scale such heights if he wishes to have a place among us," confirmed Langston. "It is not easy, but it is something he must do. Though I will admit he is fortunate to live in a time where people running across roofs is not exactly an uncommon sight - we don't have to worry so much now about people tracking us because we run across rooftops."

"If you insist..."

XXXXX

Against the odds, Lelouch managed to scale the wall in totality on his fifth try, and then descend without issue. Impressed, Carmen declared the session over, allowing her grandson to rest.

"So, what is next for me to learn?"

Carmen glanced at the prince, a soft smile on her lips. "Next will be the art of hiding in plain sight, though I am not sure that will be too difficult for you. First, though, follow me."

Acquiescing, Lelouch followed Carmen as the exited the gymnasium, eventually coming upon a pigeon coup. Cautiously, the Kingsley matriarch removed a pigeon from the coup, which to Lelouch's surprise had a message attached to it.

"Is that a messenger pigeon?"

"It is. In times past, the Assassin's and Templars used them to deliver messages to one another. Nowadays, we use special channels on the internet, but these birds still have their uses. This one, in particular, comes from an agent of my brother who was recently active in Hiroshima, which recently had its internet cut due to, ahem, 'anti-terrorist activities'."

"I see...you know, for one who says they are a member of the Templars, you seem to prefer methods grandfather said are traditionally used by the Assassins."

"Our ways have hardly yielded any success in bending the Empire's might to our will. I think it is time a different approach was taken."

"Well, at least you aren't unwilling to adapt. So, when does my next training session begin?"

"Tomorrow. But you will have to continue practicing your climbing skills, in addition to other atheletics."

Lelouch groaned in annoyance.

XXXXX

Lelouch's next assignment found him in the middle of a shopping mall, with his grandmother beside him.

"So, what now?"

"Now, my child, you learn, or at least refine, the art of blending in."

Before Lelouch could question Carmen, she pulled out a ribbon. "Your task is to take this ribbon from me."

"And I assume that you are going to vanish into the crowd?"

"Yes. Also, you have another objective to complete: do not allow me to find you. If I do, you will have failed your task, and we will head home and repeat this lesson again tomorrow."

"And if I win?"

"Then I will find a new location to test your skills at stealth with a different test. Oh, and if you manage to steal the ribbon, meet me at the bus stop by the shoe store. Text me should you be victorious so that I don't have to go looking for you in this crowd - you are one of my only surviving progeny, after all."

"I feel so loved."

"Haha. Good luck."

With that, Carmen vanished into the crowd. A moment later, Lelouch received a text on his new phone - a small message, but enough to tell him what happened next.

'Begin.'

Wordlessly, the boy walked forward, and soon followed his grandmother in disappearing into the masses. Hopefully, he could complete this on his first try.

XXXXX

"No, Madame, I haven't seen any children looking like the boy you described, though I assure you that if we find him, we'll inform you and his family as soon as we are certain it is him."

"Thank you, officer."

"Anytime."

A moment later, the officer found himself accosted by a lady regarding her missing purse, allowing Carmen to return to walking about.

A thin smile graced her lips - it seemed her grandson was more resourceful than she had expected. It was only when she had wandered for ten minutes that she had idiotically realized that she was holding this test in a place where he might actually be caught by police, as a child without a parent was a rather worrisome event.

Their was also the risk of, oh, losing her only grandson.

For now, though, it seemed Lelouch had managed to evade the authorities. Whether or not that was a good thing was still in the air.

The sound of someone taking a powerful punch tore Carmen out of her musings. Orienting herself toward the source of the noise, she found a pair of drunks brawling each other, one a unkempt-looking man, the other a refined lady who just seemed to have taken one to may sips from a bottle today. Apparently, the lady had struck first after the man had drunkenly groped her.

Carmen couldn't help but laugh at the sight, but quickly returned to searching for her grandson-oh who was texting her now?! And what could they possibly want to say?

'I win.'

Carmen looked at the text for a moment. Then she put her hand to the pocket were the ribbon had been stashed.

The ribbon was no longer there.

'Nice. How'd you get it.'

'Tapped on the shoulder of a lady that looked a little hung over. She assumed the equally drunk many behind her had made a pass and struck him back. You were too busy watching the scene to notice.'

...That boy was learning well.

XXXXX

Lelouch let out a cry as Langston brought down his wooden sword, forcing the boy to defend with his own wooden blade.

The fighting had gone on for about five minutes. Unlike the rock-climbing, Lelouch had some experience with a blade from his time sparring with Suzaku, and with royal fencing trainers before that, but this was something else entirely. The young prince had managed to endure the onslaught, but he was tiring, and eventually, his grandfather managed to disarm him.

"Well, that went better than I had expected."

Rubbing his right cheek, Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "Did you expect that I would be defeated in less than a minute?"

"Taking all of your prior training into account, yes. Assassins and Templars train long hours with the sword. I believe that you have performed adequately for today, though. We will resume training tomorrow, and in one week's time, I will have another test for you to complete."

"Understood."

XXXXX

One week later, Lelouch found himself standing before a quartet of girls...all of whom looked exactly alike. Clothes, hair, facial features - all were the same.

Lelouch glanced at his grandfather. "What is this?"

"Your test."

"And that is?"

"Each of these girls has a card in her hand. One of them is marked with the Assassin's emblem on one side, and the Templar Cross on the other. You must choose which one that is."

"I assume I must guess?"

"Not quite. You are aware of what Eagle Vision is, correct?"

"You mean the view of the world that is mostly without colors?"

"Yes. Try and use it here. I believe that it will help you find your target."

"But I've never used it consciously before."

"All I ask is that you try, my child."

Seeing that there would be no further argument, Lelouch took a deep breath and closed his eyes. After a moment of concentration, he opened them.

Amazingly, the world was indeed reduced to greyscale. To his side, his grandfather stood, bathed in blue light, as did three of the four girls before him, which seemed to confirm that blue represented allies. The girl on the far left, though, glowed gold.

Closing his eyes again, Lelouch managed to halt his Eagle Vision. Then he pointed to the girl in question. "Her. She has the marked card."

Without a word, the girl opened her palms...revealing that the marked card was indeed in her hands.

"Excellent."

"So, what next?"

"Now we repeat this with a bigger group of people. And some of them should be walking."

Lelouch groaned. "Can I at least look at them from atop a roof?"

"Sure."

XXXXX

-Three months later-

Lelouch stood atop the roof, eyes taking in the evening scene around him. Many people had gone to sleep already, but others will still active, either closing up shop or preparing for a night shift.

A ringing sound brought his attention to his phone. Without hesitation, he answered. "So, this is it?"

"Yes," answered Langston. "This is your official initiation test."

"You want me to steal documents from a Britannian official, without being noticed."

"Correct. We Assassins might normally focus on wiping out the Templars, but our original goals put us in opposition of all oppressors. I think it is time we return to that path."

"Interesting, but I would like a little more info on who I am robbing."

"Fair enough. His name is Vincent Claes, and he is a major in the occupying force. He's wiped out a few resistance groups, though some of them weren't much better than him. Our main reason for wanting him out of the picture is that he's started to ask questions that could lead him to discovering our order. His rank makes him too high profile to eliminate yet...but if he were to suffer a set of defeats over the next few months that left him a disgrace, it wouldn't be too hard to make him disappear."

"So you want me to still plans for his next few offensives?"

"Not exactly - they're actually documents indicating that Shinjuku Ghetto is filled with terrorists. Our plants in his forces have confirmed that he plans to arrange things so that your brother and the current Viceroy, Prince Clovis, can liquidate Shinjuku Ghetto for an urban renewal project. Strictly speaking, the Viceroy has no interest at the moment in do so - he would rather focus on making works of art - but Claes is fairly charismatic and could likely convince the Viceroy given time."

"Does he have an agenda he wishes to advance?"

"That man has unlimited ambition. He'll never stop trying to advance himself until he's got the chance to marry into the Imperial Family."

"Understood. Where is my target?"

"Claes is keeping the documents that he'll use to make his claims to Clovis stored at a Newspaper press. Apparently he thinks that they'll be hard to find amid the various stories being printed for consumption. You shouldn't have too much trouble breaking in."

"Thanks."

"Good luck."

Ending the call, Lelouch began his mission, running across the rooftops, careful to avoid cameras and roof-guards. Below, Britannians went about their lives, occasionally harassing Elevens that were forced to beg for scraps. Internally, Lelouch was simmering with rage - how could they just get away with this?

One sight did make Lelouch come to a halt, though - that of an abandoned construction project, now gathering dust as other structures rose around it.

Pulling out his phone, Lelouch dialed up his grandmother.

"Lelouch, why are you calling me? Did something pop up? Are you in danger?"

"No. I just wanted to ask: there's an abandoned building project here, about five miles south of Ashford Academy...well, at least where the Academy will be. Can you tell me what it is?"

"...That would be the Rising Sun Shopping Center. Before the invasion, it was going to be a joint development project between Britannia and Japan, primarily for shopping, but there were plans to incorporate apartments into it, and even some talk of adding underground manufacturing centers. After the invasion, though, the Japanese company sponsoring the project was nationalized and it's Britannian partners were unable to foot the bill. They've been trying to find someone to sell it off to, or arrange for someone on the NAC to help them finish the project, but there have been no takers. It's especially sad because the project could be finished in less than a year if someone actually helped them."

"Oh." What a pity.

"Filthy Eleven! Leave at once!"

Looking down, Lelouch saw a Britannian woman showering an elderly Japanese man in insults for daring to huddle against a wall, even as thunder rumbled above and rain began to fall.

"How dare you sully this street by cowering for shelter here. This is how you repay Britannia's kindness?! Ungrateful rat!"

"...You watching a lady be a bitch?"

"Yep. She wouldn't happen to be a Templar, would she? I'm sending you a video now."

A moment passed as Lelouch forwarded a recording to his grandmother.

"Normally, we hold ourselves above such evils as racism-"

"I see."

"-but there are always exceptions to the rule. That woman is indeed a templar - Lila Franklin."

"Is she nobility?"

"A viscount. She's not exactly highly ranked in the order, but her family is on the rise - working their way into the mixture of plutocracy and aristocracy that is Britannian high society."

"Not a fan, I presume?"

"She's an upstart racist jackass. I don't fault those with ambition and have no problem working with those of different ethnicities, but she is scum. Still, it would be best to ignore her - she isn't worth your time."

"Very well."

XXXXX

Lelouch eventually made his way into the newspaper building, careful to avoid any guards and late working reporters and journalists he encountered. It wasn't long before he was within the halls of the structure.

Having silenced his phone, Lelouch made his way down to where the printing presses were stored - according to some eavesdropping he'd been asked to do before this assignment, the documents would be stored nearby one of the presses for mass production, and so that non one would think that they are anything other than the next day's story. In fact, it had actually been stored along with several other stories, all ready to be sent to the presses.

A normal thief would have to look over each document to find the real one, but Lelouch was no ordinary thief. A simple glance with his eagle vision told him exactly which one to take. Pocketing the document, Lelouch turned to leave.

Behind him was a Britannian soldier.

Who was about to draw his weapon.

On instinct, Lelouch extended his left arm.

The hidden blade shot out and impaled the man through the throat.

His eyes widened, his body spasmed, and then the soldier went still.

For a moment, Lelouch stood frozen, before staring at his hidden blade, blood glistening from its tips.

Then the moment faded, and Lelouch hastily grabbed the body and, with some difficulty, moved to hide it in a dumpster for ruined papers. Hopefully no one would notice it.

When a security guard arrived the next morning to examine the papers, he would find one missing, along with a small drop of spilled red ink.

XXXXX

Carmen held her grandson close, allowing him to cry in peace. True, he had completed her first assignment as an assassin, but he had also taken his first life. And as much as he wanted to destroy Britannia, he was still only a boy.

In time, Langston and his sister would come to comfort him. For now, though, he needed someone to cry into.

XXXXX

-Tokyo Settlement-

"So, how does it feel to be a member of the Brotherhood?"

Lelouch glanced at his grandfather, a strange look in his eyes. "It feels...odd."

"I understand. So much has happened. You've become part of a greater whole...and lost some of yourself in the process."

Lelouch reflexively felt his hidden blade, a look of discomfort on his face. Immediately, his grandfather's expression softened.

"I am sorry if I offended you."

"It's fine. I simply found that I'm not as tough as I thought I was."

"Be glad you aren't. It means you're still human."

"Thanks. Though I must ask, where are we going."

"To meet some associates of myself and Carmen. You wish to wage a way to destroy Britannia, yes?"

"I do."

"Then you will need allies...and I might have an internship ready for you that can be a sort of disguise for finding allies."

The car they were in soon came to a stop, at which Helen opened the door and allowed grandfather and grandson to exit the vehicle. Before them was an office building, upon which the word Abstergo and a triangle image could be seen.

"...who exactly is Abstergo?"

"Officially, Abstergo is a multinational conglomerate that invests in advanced technology. Unofficially, it is the largest front for modern day Templar activities. Carmen happens to hold a fair amount of company stock and knows a few execs."

"And why do they allow her to continue holding stock when she is married to an Assassin?"

"Among others, Britannia's Templars are more willing to have extended truces with their mortal enemies - both want to make the throne more pliable to their interests. Though, admittedly, it is a tenuous peace."

"I see."

"No more questions now, I have something special to show you inside."

XXXXX

"Ah, Langston, a pleasure to see you."

"The pleasure is all mine, Joseph. I have someone I like you to meet."

The brown haired scientist turned his attention to Lelouch. "Ah, you must be Langston's grandson, Lelouch."

"The exiled prince, in the flesh."

"I am Joseph Fenette. And before I get ahead of myself, I assure you that everything that happens here will remain behind closed doors."

Lelouch managed a small smile. "Thank you."

Then he noticed the odd looking bed in the room "What is that?"

"A special invention I've been working on, which may help us revolutionize our ability to understand history. I call it the Animus."

"You mean, like a mind?"

"Of a sort. I have been trying to acquire people willing to use it, but unfortunately I have few willing to see what it can do - regardless of which side they stand on in our secret war. If you are willing, I'd allow you to use it."

"...Nothing ventured, nothing gained. This won't hurt me, though, will it?"

"No. We've patched that out...mostly."

Lelouch frowned, but ultimately laid down upon the bed according to Fenette's instructions. A moment later, and a sort of visor appeared over his eyes. Then his vision went weird.

XXXXX

Lelouch found himself staring into a blue-white void, where strange images seemed to float around at random. He even thought he saw a snake in there.

"What is this?" he wondered.

"The answer to that question is rather long and verbose, but I will give it if you so desire," was Fenette's answer.

"Please do."

"Very well. Are you familiar with genetic memory?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, you are aware of what memory is, yes?"

"Of course."

"Well, what if I told you that a human body could house not only their memories, but all the memories of their ancestors. That is genetic memory - it keeps track of things like hibernation, migration, and reproduction. Things that you would attribute to instincts among animals. The Animus allows us to decipher these memories and see what happened. With it, we could use gain an unparalleled understanding of history."

"I thought your order would want to use that to find out who are the descendants of Assassins."

"There are better ways than that for which the Animus can advance our Order."

"I see. So, you want to use that to study my ancestors?"

"Just studying the history of the Fries would be one I would want to use this magnificent machine for. But I have a different goal in mind."

"And that is?"

"Supposedly, the founders of our order had ways of making advanced personal use weapons and artifacts that could last ages on their own. Our leaders would now like to see if some their descendants could provide us with the location of those artifacts using the Animus as a cartographer. And supposedly, you have the location of one such artifact in your memories. So for the sake of giving my superiors some useful data, would you be willing to start your animus journey there?"

"...Fair enough."

"Perfect. Now, just let me run through the tutorial functions and we can get started. Also, be warned, swimming has a few bugs here."

XXXXX

When all the tutorials and setup functions were complete, Lelouch found himself in the body of a boy in the Ancient Britannian homeland - during the fifth century, to be exact. Beside him was a knight, while around him were various other knights pitching colorful tents at a tourney. Yet that was none of the boy's concern. Instead, the boy was drawn toward a large stone, guarded by several knights who were escorting other warriors away for reasons Lelouch did not understand.

Onward he walked, approaching the stone even as the knights ordered him to stop. They, however, were told to halt by the knight who had been with the boy, if only to allow him a chance at the stone...well, what was within the stone.

There, plainly visible within the stone, was a sword.

Soon, though, the sword was in the boy's hands, raised triumphantly into the air.

XXXXX

"...Huh," went Langston. "I guess Excalibur was real."

"Indeed it was," agreed Fenette, "or rather, is - I believe the sword still exists."

"Perhaps it does. Now, just to ask, did you have any other candidates scheduled to help this week?"

"One coming in tomorrow. I think Lelouch would be happy to meet him."

"And who might that be?"

"A boy named Kururugi."

"...Oh."

Unnoticed to the Assassin and Templar, another was watching the exiled prince's memories. Hidden away in the Animus itself, the image of a snake passed through the Animus menu. Yet this image did not fade away - instead, it watched as the boy relived his ancestor drawing the sword of succession.

None of those present had any idea the significance of the snake watching this memory...and only one would eventually learn what this entailed.

XXXXX

AN: Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!


	4. The Night of Blood

-Ashford Academy, Area 11. 2016 a.t.b.-

"Well, it looks like classes are dismissed for the day," spoke a blond haired girl. "Looks like were free!"

"Not me, I'm afraid, Milly," spoke Lelouch.

The Ashford family heiress glanced at him, a curious look on her face. "Oh right. You have a few things you need to take care of with your grandparents, don't you."

Lelouch smiled nervously. "I presume your grandfather told you about that?"

"Indeed he did."

"Aw, and I was just about to ask you about a gambling match. An earl said he was interested in seeing how well you play," complained a blue haired boy - Rivalz Cardemonde, treasurer of the Ashford Student council.

"Rivalz!" squawked an orange haired girl. "Why do you and Lelouch keep wasting your time gambling?! You know its dangerous!"

Lelouch couldn't help but smile - the orange haired girl was Shirley Fenette, Joseph's daughter. The two had met one day when Lelouch had arranged for a man's car to be towed away after he had collided with a car belonging to an elderly couple and then had the audacity to blame them for it. Lelouch hadn't thought much up it, but Shirley had wanted to know more about him after that, in part because he didn't think much of that. The girl seemed to be enamored with how he had done the right thing just because he could.

"Maybe next time."

"Ok/LULU!"

Eventually, the rest of the students filtered out enjoy the start of their weekend, leaving Lelouch alone.

After taking in a good view of Ashford, Lelouch started heading west - he had an appointment with some friends.

XXXXX

"So, the Exiled Princes returns," noted a Japanese girl.

"Saya, no need to be rude," chided a Britannian teen.

"Relax, Fred. I'm just having some fun."

Lelouch let out a chuckle. "Well, I don't mind."

"I see that," noted Fred. "So, how are things at Ashford?"

"Going well. Shirley is still trying to convince me and Rivalz to stop gambling."

Fred snorted. "Like that's gonna happen."

"I agree - I can think of tons of things that will happen before you give up taking nobles here when you beat them."

Lelouch had just arrived at a laundromat that was being used as an Assassin's Bureau. So far, the more extreme elements of the local Templars had yet to discover this location. The more moderate ones knew what this building was, but didn't care.

"I can think of one thing that will happen before that day," admitted Lelouch.

"And what's that?" inquired Saya while Fred took a sip of water.

"You two tying the knot."

Fred managed to hit a window ten feet away as he did a spit-take.

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, nothing."

Both teens were blushing up a storm, but before they could question their companion, the sounds of shouting across the street turned their attention toward a nearby bus stop. There, a women in a fancy purple suit was yelling at a Japanese man cleaning a window, apparently for the crime of daring to be in her way.

"...That Lila?" asked Fred.

"Yep," answered Lelouch.

Saya scowled. "Racist bitch. I don't know why we can't just off her - even the Templars hate her!"

"True, but her family creates Knightmare munitions and have been working on developing the weapons for the next generation of Knightmares. Some say they might be in line to develop the next generation of Knightmare Frames!"

"Please," chided Lelouch, "she's not that high up in the totem pole. Her death might rock Area 11, but she's a nobody on the global level."

"Well, I hope she dies soon." admitted Saya. "Maybe she could be the final test for one of us."

"Should you really be delighting at the thought of killing a woman?" questioned Lelouch. True, he knew this was hypocritical of him to ask, but an Assassin must never lose sight of their purpose.

"...No," conceded Saya, with Frederic nodding shortly after. "I suppose that is unbecoming of us, even if she deserves to die."

Another round of shouting drew the trio's attention back toward Lila, who was now yelling at another Britannian - a well off looking women, likely an equal to the Templar. It seemed the lady had asked Ms. Franklin to stop harassing the cleaner, as he was only doing his job, and that a noble like herself should have known better than to walk so close to someone who could soil her clothing. Lila promptly called out the woman for showing sympathy to an Eleven.

"...That women is hard not to hate," noted Lelouch, reflexively feeling up his hidden blade...well, blades.

Saya merely nodded. "By the way, you go on any archaeology club trips recently?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, you have seen some interesting sights in the Animus, so I'm just wondering if you've perhaps found some 'souvenirs' you'd like to take home."

"I see. And to answer your question, I haven't gone on any since the one to the Ravensthorpe Heritage Site last year to acquire a certain sword, spear, and hammer. Though I am scheduled to partake in a visit to Egypt next month, and I do believe that there is a certain set of armor I'd like to aquire."

Frederic smiled. "Good luck, buddy."

"Do we really count as friends? I've spent more time hanging out with Rivalz than either of you."

"Relax, dude. Just trying to make small talk.:

"I know. Just having some fun of my own."

XXXXX

A few hours later, Lelouch smiled as a dumbfounded noble paid him in full after he took utterly trounced the man in a chess game. Then said noble's wife also paid up, since she had betted that Lelouch would lose. Having shattered the pride of another foolhardy member of Britannia's elite, Lelouch made his way back to the waiting car, where his grandmother was watching him, a smile gracing her face.

"Anohter victory, eh?"

"The only person I've lost to in Area 11, at least at the moment, are Langston and you. And only twice in your case. Maybe the saying that women are wiser has some merit."

"Women are just as fallible as men, but I do enjoy the compliment. So, shall I return you to Ashford Academy?"

"Yes. Thank you...and I apologize for asking for your help withmy habits."

"None is needed. Besides, I think those habits are genetic."

Lelouch quirked an eyebrow. "You challenged nobles to chess matches for profit?"

"I once managed to take one of Charles' half siblings to the cleaners in a chess match, to the point she never really had any public appearances after that. Though she did make a big point of saying how she would force me to be her maid if I lost. I think she even asked her dear brother to help cover it up."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Though I think she was also jealous of how I was interested in the man that would eventually become your grandfather."

"Why? Shouldn't she have 'better' prospects?"

"Royalty feel they are entitled to everything, don't they?"

Lelouch merely nodded - many, many royals had that problem.

When a light forced the duo to come to a stop, Lelouch took a moment to look to his right - on the nearby sidewalk, a family of Elevens were trudging along, trying to protect a small amount of bread they had purchased for themselves. Wordlessly, Lelouch rolled down the window and tossed them a small stack of banknotes, pulling away before they could notice who had thrown the money to them.

"Engaging in a little wealth redistribution, eh?"

"Yep."

"Well, you might want to aim bigger than that. You've got enough money squirreled away from all you gambling to start investing into methods of acquiring even more money - and probably help out those in need while your at it."

"You have a point."

At that exact moment, Lelouch found himself looking at a familiar structure - the skeleton of the Rising Sun Shopping Center. Over the years, more companies had expressed interest in finishing the building, but ultimately, ownership of it would be decided in two weeks during an auction. And more than a few people wanted to demolish the structure to make way for something smaller. Or a bunch of statues commemorating Britannia's conquest of Japan.

"Oh, I should mention, Reuben's been helping Fenette work on a new model of the Animus - supposedly one that allows for the user to move around while experiencing memories. There's also plans to create a home-console version as part of Abstergo Entertainment."

"Does he want me to help beta-test it?"

"Yes, and of course the home-console Animus would be yours to use."

"Good to know."

XXXXX

-The next day, 3:00AM, Ashford Student Council Clubhouse Dorms. a.t.b. August 15 2016-

Groggily, Lelouch opened his eyes.

It was still dark outside, and after a cursory examination of the room (exploiting his Eagle Vision to avoid needing to turn on the light), Lelouch determined that Milly wasn't trying to get blackmail on him again. Reuben's daughter had standards, but so long as they were not broken, they were as flexible as a noodle.

Briefly, Lelouch entertained the idea of returning to sleep, only for a sound coming from the kitchen to bring that train of thought to a halt. Carefully strapping on his hidden blade, the exiled prince walked up to his bedroom door and gently opened it. Inside were two unfamiliar faces - a man and a woman, both armed. They appeared to be talking to one another. Cautiously, he held his head against the doorway, trying to listen in on their conversation.

"Is this where they live?" spoke the man.

"I believe so. They must like enjoy a small amount of opulence."

"That, or its easier for a girl in a wheelchair to get around school from here."

"Point made. Bravo Team, are you in position?"

"Just outside the Girls' Dorms" spoke another woman. "Charlie is outside the Guys'. On your mark, we'll break in."

"Copy. You're objective is Millicent Ashford, but acquiring her is still a secondary mission. We'll contact you after we have the targets. Agent Bael will cover our escape. Understood?"

"Copy. Good luck." The radio promptly died.

"Think they'll figure out we're coming?" asked the man.

"I doubt it."

"You know they live with trained killers, and that their grandparents are trained killers, right?"

"And one's a girl in a wheelchair who is blind. I'm more worried about their ninja maid."

Taking a moment to glance at the room, Lelouch smirked. The woman was right to be worried about Sayoko...but she didn't know said kunoichi was already in position to take both down.

Noticing her charge, Sayoko made a gesture asking him when to strike. Lelouch merely extended three fingers, which he slowly lowered.

When the last one was curled in, Sayoko Shinozaki pounced. The fight was over before it began - both were incapacitated in an instant. Disarmed and overpowered, the brigands didn't even know what hit them.

"Excellent work and fortuitous timing, Sayoko. Now, then-"

Lelouch never got the chance to finish, as suddenly the room was blanketed in darkness. A clanged followed momentarily, along with a shocked cry from Ms. Shinozaki, followed by Lelouch feeling a heavy blow against his face. Falling to the ground, Lelouch could barely make out the sounds of someone walking toward him.

"Targets have been located. Proceeding to retrieval."

Lelouch tried to find the invader - who strangely sounded like a boy - but his vision was occupied solely by darkness. Lelouch felt his panic rising, only for an idea to enter his mind. Calming himself, Lelouch closed his eyes, then opened them once more.

The blackness was now replaced by a grey-scale world, and where there was once emptiness, the red outline of a boy was visible. Said boy was dueling with a recovered Sayoko, and he was clearly winning - somehow he was clad in armor that allowed him to shrug off blows to his pressure points and slashes from a knife. Additionally, Sayoko seemed to be relying solely on her hearing to fight, which ultimately failed her when her assailant took a moment to whistle agonizingly loudly, leaving Sayoko open to be whacked with a frying pan.

Realizing he might only have a few seconds to save his guardian, Lelouch grabbed the boy's heel and extended his hidden blade, producing an audible clang, but failing to do any damage.

Then the electric charge kicked in. The assailant spasmed and screamed in shock, before collapsing against a wall. They recovered surprisingly fast, though, and soon retreated, though not before grabbing his two compatriots.

Lelouch hastily helped Sayoko stand back up, before moving to check on Nunnally, who thankfully appeared to have only just woken up.

It was at that moment that the school alarms went off - though the danger for the siblings had passed, the rest of Ashford was facing its own invaders.

XXXXX

Morning light revealed the butcher's bill for the night - none had died at Ashford, but the academy had not been the only place attacked - all over the settlement, buildings had been attacked. Many belonged to Britannia, but others were believed to be terrorist hideouts, and some like Ashford were home to just civilians, with some being murdered in their beds. Evne the Viceroy's palace had been attacked, though Clovis' royal guard had subdued the invaders with ease.

Clovis had made an address that morning, decrying the violence, but he had barely gotten into how his heart was shattered by this when the broadcast had been hacked, with a masked figure appearing on television. Saying that he was but an instrument of change, the figure had claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that they were punishing both the arrogant Britannians who dared to think they were beyond retribution and various elevens who had found themselves either content with a life of slavery or unable to achieve results in rebelling against the Britannian yoke. They had also promised that this was just the start of their campaign against those they viewed as stagnant.

As the following week would prove, this was not an idle boast - over the next six days, every Britannian area found itself beset by terrorist attacks, resulting in thousands of deaths. Even members of the royal family found themselves targetted, though at worst they were merely injured. Numbers were also slaughtered, be they collaborators or rebels. This served only to muddle the motives of the terrorists, as this clearly wasn't motivated by a desire for freedom, and the claim to be instruments of change was...okay, it sounded really stupid.

Lelouch did have a fairly good idea of why the attack had taken place, though. Not that it brought him any peace.

XXXXX

It was rare to see so many caskets being interred into the ground at once, but the recent act of terror had taken many to an early grave. Many had gathered to mourn those they had lost, and for once, the fiercest of enemies had decided to bury the hatchet.

What shocked Lelouch, though, was how many of those that had died that he was familiar with. Be they Assassin or Templar, almost half of the slain had been involved in the shadow war that had raged since Ancient Egypt, only to find themselves cut down seemingly at random. Overnight, both orders had effectively been gutted - the grandmasters of both orders had been among the casualties of the carnage, as had many, many more. A few of the old guard had survived, alongside numerous initiates, but right now, the Japanese Assassins and Templars teetered on the brink of Extinction. And according to messages passed between the various surviving senior order members, this was the case in every area, and even the homeland.

Thus, while publicly the attack was done in the name of 'change', its true purpose was obvious to the secret orders - to wipe both groups out.

Lelouch felt tears flowing as he watched caskets bearing the names of friends being buried. Most were initiates around his age, who had been on the cusp of being fully inducted into the orders, only to find their futures taken from them and consigned to oblivion. Other were teachers he had found himself willing to confide personal secrets in. Some of these elders had been close friends of his grandparents, who were struggling not to fall apart. Frederic and Olivia, meanwhile, had hollow looks on their faces - neither had experienced loss before, and the pain seemed to overwhelm them.

The prince felt another pang of sorrow when he saw a red-haired Britannian nobleman alongside a japanese lady and her red-haired daughter, who were all fighting back tears as a casket was being laid into the ground. What really made his heart shatter, though, was that a red-haired teen was observing from far away, looking as if he wanted to comfort the trio, but knowing that he could not.

The boy's name was either Nathaniel Stadtfeld or Naoto Kouzuki, and he was the eldest son of Alan Stadtfeld. Said man was the one comforting the two woman, one his daughter, the other her mother who society would never let him marry. Alan had taught his son all there was to being an Assassin, which had ultimately saved his life during what authorities now called the First Night of Blood, but he had still been critically injured, and might yet have succumbed on the hospital bed. In fact, it had been decided best if everyone assumed he had died, barring his father and the rest of the order, so that he could be sent elsewhere - the Brotherhood needed to rebuild itself. Additionally, it had been decided that the Stadtfeld boy would be assisting certain allies of the Brotherhood in helping declaw the more extreme elements of Britannia - though considering who said allies were, fighting fire with fire was a rather accurate phrase.

Not all who gathered here were mourners, though - Ms. Lila was here, and despite her pretensions otherwise, she was evidently quite smug about how many elevens had died in the act of terror. Said brazen disrespect for the dead made Lelouch's blood boil, and for an instant, he felt poised to give her a peace of his mind...only for a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

Turning around, Leoouch found himself staring at Nunnally.

Who stared back at him with pleading, violet eyes.

"Not now, big brother."

There were some unexpected miracles the Animus could achieve. Restoring Nunnally's sight was one of them.

Seeing her eyes made his anger cool, and Lelouch felt his need for retribution vanish...for now, anyway.

Deciding he had seen enough of death, Lelouch turned to grab Nunnally's wheelchair and leave, only to accidentally bump into someone.

"Uh, my apologies," began the prince.

"No, that was my fault, I-"

The voice that spoke was one that Lelouch felt was oddly familiar. Curious, the Assassin-in-training took a good look at the one he had collided with, and gasped.

So did his companion.

"Suzaku?"

"Lelouch?"

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same of you!"

"Um, Lelouch?"

"Wait, is that Nunnally-"

"Ahem."

Both teens turned to face the Assassin-novice's grandparents.

"I believe we can explain."

XXXXX

"So, let me get this straight," stated a notably angry Lelouch. "Suzaku's father was a Templar, as is his mother, and Suzaku was working as an employee of Abstergo for as long as I did...and neither of you thought to tell either of us?!"

Lelouch's grandmother quirked an eyebrow. "We thought that you two should meet on your own. I will admit that we were perhaps wrong to hide this from both of you."

"Perhaps," acknowledged Suzaku, though a hint of venom was in his words - something that unnerved Lelouch and Nunnally.

Then the boy turned to his former guests. "So you two are Assassins?"

"Nunnally hasn't been trained as one, and I have not been initiated," clarified Lelouch. "And technically, we could also be Templars...though I know my heart would never be with them."

Suzaku looked crestfallen at that, his eyes wandering toward the floor. "I see."

"And can I assume you are at a similar phase in your training for the Templars?"

"Yes. If you are going to ask me to join you, then don't - I've made my choice. But I won't fight you or Nunnally."

"I don't think that either of you will be fighting one another," admitted Langston.

The two teens turned to face the elder Assassin.

"I have spoken with my compatriots among the rest of the Assassins and the Templars, and we have all agreed that whoever tried to wipe us out, we must take them down. Doing so, however, is beyond either of our organizations as they are now."

"And so," finished Carmen, "until such a time as these Instruments of Order are dealt with, the Assassins and the Templars will be united...or at least, the ones in Britannia and its areas. The General of the Cross and the Mentor are not without their reservations, but they have decided to approve this alliance...for now."

Suzaku and Lelouch glanced at each other, Nunnally, and the elder members of the Assassins and the Templars. Nunnally was just as confused as them.

Eventually, though, Lelouch mustered up the courage to speak. "So, what now?"

"Now, I believe both of you have initiations to complete."

Instantly, Suzaku blanched. "Oh right. Lelouch, I'm sorry, but-"

"Go. This is important. I understand."

"Right...Sorry our reunion couldn't last."

"It's fine."

"Goodbye, Suzaku."

"Goodbye, Nunnally."

As the Japanese boy left, Lelouch turned toward his grandfather. "So, what is my final test."

"The violence over the last week has been ghastly, but it did bring about one benediction besides our new alliance - both Assassins and Templars, at least in the lands affected, have decided to cut loose their more extreme elements."

"Cut loose?"

"Throw them to the wolves."

"Oh."

"So, you know what needs to be done?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now get to it."

XXXXX

Lila Adams watched as a group of Japanese children ran from a group of slightly older Britannian children. How pathetic they were - unwilling to stand up and fend for themselves, they ran in the vain hope their pursuers would give up their chase.

Adams did not think herself a racist, but she admitted to having dislike for the Japanese. Her point was not necessarily unfounded, though - only a few eleven-born Honorary Britannians had achieved anything of note as of recently, even accounting for the Pureblood's attempts to marginalize these numbers. The nines, sixes, and even the twelves, on the other hand, had also produced Honorary Britannians that had managed to gain a surprising amount of clout in the local administration, something she could admire. Indeed, she had personally vouched for a Maori man to be inducted into the Templars, for she had seen a kindred spirit in him. Not that she considered him a potential romantic partner - she was already married, and dearly loved her daughter, though she seemed not to reciprocate after that incident...

So what if she drowned a man who had accidentally heard too much about the Templars? A bribe might have bought his silence, but death ensured he could never squeal. And her daugther might have called her a monster after seeing it, but in time, she would understand.

What was that behind her?

...Oh, beggars. The worst of society - unwilling to try and better themselves, even when advancement was available. If it were only degrading jobs such as prostitution or criminal ones that were available to these fools, she might have been more sympathetic, but there were many respectable functions they could serve that would at least provide them would a somewhat better life. But no, they decided instead to beg others for scraps. How pathetic.

Shoving one of the beggars aside, she made her way toward the coffee shop. Why her compatriots wanted to meet somewhere so public eluded her.

The soft footsteps of another beggar behind her, however, did not.

"Leave me be you little-"

shink-zap

XXXXX

Lelouch made sure to catch Lila before she could hit the ground.

"So, you are the one to do me in?"

"Yes. I am."

"Killed by the son of a commoner. Admittedly, one who rose to become empress, but that is besides the point."

"What do you have against commoners?"

"People who have no ambitions are worthless. Even if it is something simple, you should always strive for a better tomorrow, lest you condemn yourself to stagnation and sloth."

"Perhaps, but that gives you no right to oppress them. Sometimes they only need a spark to embrace change."

"Humans who need others to ignite their spirits are not worth my time. Though before I go to the endless sleep, I would like to ask you something, young prince."

"Speak."

"Do you intended to destroy Britannia?"

"One way or another, yes."

"Ha. It seems there is something in you I can yet admire. Good luck."

Lila breathed her last, then went still, eyes closing for a final time.

"Those who bath themselves in pride shall feel the fall the hardest. Rest In Peace."

XXXXX

Langston watched as his son returned, much to the surprise of his two guests.

"So, you're back," noted Saya.

"What was your task this time?" wondered Fred.

The answer they got shocked them.

"Lila Adams is dead, as per your request."

Langston smiled. "Excellent."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!" exclaimed Fred. "Lelouch killed Lila? Our friend got to slay that bitch?!"

"Indeed he did."

Saya glanced at Lelouch. "Nice job."

"Thanks."

"Now, my child, return to you room, and clean up."

"Why's he got to do that?" asked Saya, with Fred's expression calling for elaboration.

"This assassination was his final test. It is time he fully joins our order."

Saya froze up, mind uncomprehending.

"Lelouch sure is going up in the world," noted Fred.

"One step at a time," conceded the Lamperouge patriarch.

XXXXX

Standing before the bureau is his grandparents' home, Lelouch shifted nervously as his grandfather approached him, carrying a lit pair of tongs.

"We have recently faced a great tragedy, but now is a time for celebration, for today, we accept a new member into our ranks. Where other men blindly follow the truth, remember-"

"Nothing is true," recited Lelouch.

"Where other men are limited by law or morality, remember-"

"Everything is permitted."

"We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins."

Lelouch grimaced as the tongs forever sealed his membership to the Brotherhood. A moment later, his grandfather handed him something. A close examination revealed it to be a ring.

"You're one of us now."

XXXXX

The newly initiated Lelouch felt the air breeze past him as he fell, eyes focused on the stack of leaves below.

There was no reasonable way that someone like him should survive a fall from the highest portion of the Kingsley Manor by landing in a pile of leaves - it made no sense at all.

But sometimes, one must take a Leap of Faith.

XXXXX

As her grandson changed into his nightclothes, Carmen smiled - her little boy had finally grow up...well, a little, anyway.

Of course, there would be new threats for him to face, especially with the position he was about to inherit. Unknown to Lelouch, most of the older surviving Assassins were being transferred to different parts of Japan to re-establish different chapters of the Brotherhood. Following the purge, there simply wasn't enough locals to sustain the various cells without some redistribution. Frederic and Saya, for example, were being sent to Nagoya and Osaka, respectively.

Thus, without even knowing it, Lelouch was now one of the most likely candidates to become Mentor of the Tokyo Assassins. Especially since Langston was not interested in leading.

Briefly, Carmen's attention turned toward the television, where the Emperor condemned the terrorist attack and stated that he would deploy the Glinda Knights to punish these terrorists for daring to oppose Britannia. Like that would work.

Vibrations from her phone revealed two facts that brought back Carmen's smile - Fenette had recovered a Shroud of Eden, which might be of use restoring her granddaughter's legs. Equally impressive, though, was that Lelouch had finally put the money he had won to good use - under the false name of Julius Kingsley, he had purchased the Rising Sun Shopping Center and begun arrange for its completion. It would likely be finished in less than six months.

As her boy prepared to go to sleep, Carmen gave him a reassuring smile, letting him know just how proud she was of him.

As he turned to leave, though, her smile drooped into a frown, as she saw something the prince hardly seemed to notice - along the back of his neck was a set of black veins, which had formed into a shape that resembled a snake.

Privately, Carmen wondered if Lelouch would have a significant reaction to learning that Nunnally also had said marking, but in the shape of a skull...

XXXXX

AN: Whew, long chapter.

Just a heads up, but Code Geass canon implies that Naoto is actually still alive - Oz the Reflection has Orpheus receive an assignment from someone who matches his description and Orpheus ends up with a familiar feeling when he meets Kallen later in the story.

Next chapter is when we get to the start of canon.

Read and Review! This is Flameal15k, signing off!


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